words Al Woods
Podcasting has become ubiquitous. Every entertainer, writer, political pundit, and even everyday individuals have a podcast these days. Having one is just as important as having a website in terms of reaching the audiences that you’re looking for.
Sometimes, seeing the competition and the sheer volume of content can be intimidating. Don’t let that get to you. There are plenty of ways that you can grow your podcast beyond what you ever thought was possible.
Here are some tips to get there without buying users and listeners like what some other podcasters do.
Production Quality
The first thing you have to take care of when you do a podcast is the sound quality. Nobody wants to spend 30 minutes to an hour listening to bad quality come out of their earbuds. That’s why it’s important to choose a top podcast distributors and podcast recording software carefully. Such platforms can help you turn a good podcast into a great one. Remember, you have the audience for all of this time. It would be a disservice to put out a crackly, unmeasured, and unbalanced product. That is, according to the folks at Wired Clip podcasting, the biggest determinant to whether or not you can keep your audience past the first five minutes. Having a professional or near-professional sound is going to be an investment. It doesn’t have to be 4K. It doesn’t have to be HD Digital Surround. But it does have to be clear enough for your audience to hear the words you present them clearly.
Find Your Niche
In order to grow your audience, you need to captivate a corner of the population. You have to be honest with exactly who you’re presenting this podcast too. More often than not, if you ask a podcast are: “who is this for?“ You get a vague answer like “everybody.“ That’s a really great way to not know your audience. Narrow down who exactly you want listening, and cater to that general demographic. Word-of-mouth is still king in the age of social media. People are more than willing to bring up interesting podcasts in a conversation if they feel as if the person on the receiving end would be able to identify.
Be Genuine
Above all else, be genuine. If you’re planning on talking for hours on end, what will eventually come out is a clear image of who you are. Your opinions, your sensibilities, your political affiliations – all of that will come out. So it is a good practice that, from the get-go, you be upfront and frank about who you are. There are too many podcasts out there with individuals facetiously downplaying guests, or presenting themselves in such a comically heroic manner. There are too many Podcasters who are “fluent in sarcasm”. That is a one-way ticket to tanking ratings. Just be you.
Just because everybody has a podcast doesn’t mean any of them are good. But ultimately separates a growing one from a stagnant one is the ability for the audience to both identify and be entertained by the speaker. Like any kind of content production, it is about finding your voice and sticking to it. And with a little bit of help, who’s to say you can’t be number one?
